


I'm Not a Prince, I'm a King!

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged up characters, Angst, Aoba Johsai as kings guards/knights, Bandit group karasuno, F/F, Fluff, Hinata Shouyou & Kageyama Tobio Friendship, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, M/M, Neutral group Fukurodani, Not Beta Read, SO MUCH FLUFF, bandit group nekoma, kinda slow burn?, my heart is going to die, noblity shiratorizawa, platonic iwaoi, uwu, very dialogue-y
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:34:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22118719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Hinata Shouyou, prince of Shiratorizawa, was stolen away by a group of bandits. They were going to use the boy as a trade/deal to make the king accept them and leave them alone, but they soon realized how much they enjoyed his company. The ball of sunshine was accepted into the group of bandits, soon learned to be named "Karasuno", and completely disregarded the ongoing search for him back "home". He didn't like his noble title and would throw it away at the drop of a hat if given the chance. This was his chance.Oikawa Tooru, a knight working alongside the king, was sent out to find the prince and bring him back to Shiratorizawa safely. However, when the knight came across the group of bandits who had taken away Hinata, he discovered how quickly Hinata had accepted their way of life and became one with them. What the hell was he supposed to tell the king?
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Yachi Hitoka, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 98





	1. Kidnapped?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oikawa, head knight of Aoba Johsai, the King's "right hand men", is sent out by the King himself, along with four other knights of higher status. Their mission is to locate and bring back the missing prince, Hinata Shouyou. However, to Oikawa and his men, they did not know they were in for such a surprise.

“So, when the king told me I had to search for a prince with orange hair,” Oikawa stared up at a boy with bright, lively amber eyes. Oikawa sheathed his longsword into its pouch, unwavering from the shorter boy's stare. The boy watched Oikawa’s movements for a moment before lowering the shortsword in his right hand. “I didn’t expect... _this_ , necessarily.”

Tangerine hair fluttered against the midday breeze, sunlight burning into his skin. Crow feathers were tied into his hair in individual braids, the boy completely at ease with his situation. Oikawa knew full well this would be absolutely insane and quite the adventure.

\-- a few hours beforehand --

Oikawa patrolled the halls of the castle like every other day, measly keeping watch of the throne room. Nothing has ever happened ever, so why would he put so much effort into keeping the castle safe? All the kingdoms know just how powerful Shiratorizawa was-- _i_ _s --_ so why dare do anything to impose? 

Before Oikawa could let out a yawn, a servant burst through the throne room and hurried over to the knight with a worried expression plastered all across his face. Oikawa was surprised, of course, the man clinging to him without a known reason yet was something to be surprised over.

“Oikawa, sir!” the man spoke, eyes wide and mouth quivering. “The prince! He’s missing! The King summoned you to speak with him!”

Oikawa let out a gasp, the servant darting down the hallway before he could say anything else. He watched as other guards approached the throne room and waited for Oikawa to enter, nervous sweat clear on their foreheads. 

“Let’s not get too worried, this has happened before,” Oikawa reassured his men, hand hovering over the golden doorhandles. “It’s not like he’s really missing, come on.”

Iwaizumi stepped in front of Oikawa and pushed open the doors, taking lead because _someone_ was busy overthinking. Oikawa stuck out his tongue playfully, Iwaizumi rolling his eyes and holding back his fist from coming across the brunette’s face.

“Your Majesty, may I ask why we have been summoned? I hear the prince has gone missing, is this true?” Iwaizumi asked, kneeling down before the green-haired man sitting on the throne. 

“Yes, Hinata Shouyou has disappeared. This time, we fear, is it not because of his adventurous spirit, but because he had been kidnapped,” the King explained, iron clanking together by nervous twitches from the knights. Everyone was on edge; who would kidnap the prince? “I summoned the most responsible, diligent knights here to find Shouyou and bring him back safely.”

“How do we know he’s been kidnapped, if I might ask?” Oikawa spoke, raising his head to look into the King’s eyes. “Was there a specific clue that we could use to find him?”

“His maid went to bring Shouyou his meal this morning, and found the window wide open and belongings thrown about his room,” the King explained. “His satchel and his coat that he would always bring with him were still in his room, and he wouldn’t jump out the window in his bathroom. You can tell he uses the main window next to his bed because the amount of _footprints_ against the windowsill, much to my displeasure. All we know is that there were two crow feathers taped to a note on his desk.”

“May we see the note, Your Majesty?”

“Certainly, I just sent someone to fetch it from Tendou,” the King said, eyes flickering over to the doors. “And here he is.”

“Yo! Wakatoshi!” Tendou cheered, waving the vanilla letter above his head with a smile. “Got your note here!”

“Tendou, do not throw around important information,” Iwaizumi said as politely as he could, holding his right hand out to receive the letter. “May I?”

“Of course of course, Iwaizumi,” Tendou placed the note gently into Iwaizumi’s hand, waving at the King before skipping out of the room. “See ya!”

“Still as lively as ever, I see,” Oikawa sighed, the other two guards facepalming. “Iwa-chan~, what does the note say?”

“Shittykawa, you do realize you’re literally no better than Lord Tendou, right?” Iwaizumi spat, the other two guards holding back a laugh. “Matsukawa, Hanamaki, compose yourself, it wasn’t that bad of an insult.”

“I’m wounded, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa pouted. “What does the note say, since I have to ask you again?”

“It just says “come get him” with a heart and a tiny bird drawing, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi replied, handing Oikawa the letter. “Your Majesty, what would you like us to do?”

“Search for Shouyou, that is all I ask of you four,” the King answered strictly, Iwaizumi kneeling down once again. “I do not care how much time it takes you to locate him and bring him back. As long as he is safe and returned unharmed, I do not care what measures you must take. If you must kill someone, _do it_.”

“Y-your Majesty! Are you suggesting we kill a Crow?” Oikawa shot up off the ground and onto his feet, staring into the King’s emerald eyes. “If we do, we could start a possible _war_ between them..! Our acknowledgment of them has been scarce, yes, but if we were to hurt or kill one of their members, the little truce we have with them will be over.”

“They have already started a war by kidnapping the _prince_ , Oikawa,” the King shot back. “If they’re going to play this dangerous game with me, I will play as well. There will be zero mercy for them if this continues, however.”

Oikawa swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing visibly in his throat. He knelt back down and nodded, thanking the King and exited with the other three knights. Iwaizumi shut the door behind Oikawa, the four men in silence for what seemed like hours.

“So,” Matsukawa began, clearing his throat to try and rid the awkward silence. “How about we not kill anyone? Just retrieve the prince and bring him back, no biggie.”

“Right. We should get moving then.” Oikawa sighed. 

\--

Matsukawa and Hanamaki chose to split between the four to cover more ground in hopes to find the prince faster. Iwaizumi agreed and dragged Oikawa with him to the west, while the other two walked east. Shiratorizawa was a gigantic kingdom, so finding the prince in one day would be near impossible. The Crows could have already taken him out to sea, or into Nekoma territory. Not only did the knights not want to get involved with that, but they know just how strong the two groups could be when fighting alongside each other. 

“Ask store clerks first, see if they’ve seen anything suspicious,” Oikawa told Iwaizumi, pointing to the shopping plaza to his right. “You go down that way, I’ll go left.”

“Don’t get lost, I’m not going to come find you,” Iwaizumi said before hurrying off to ask a man, hopping from individual to individual. Oikawa rolled his eyes and smiled, knocking on the desk of a jewelry store. 

“Hello hello~? Anyone home?” Oikawa asked in a sing-song, looking around the small window shop at the different kinds of items on display. A tanned man with stubble and a proud smile stepped out and looked at Oikawa, greeting the knight kindly before asking what he needed. “Have you seen anything suspicious today? Like a hurry of people or a cluster of orange running off somewhere?”

“Hmm... I don’t think so, man,” the clerk thought for a moment, tapping the bottom of his chin, with his thumb. “I didn’t see any orange, but I did see a group of men running toward the dock with a fairly large crate. They had feathers in their hair as well. One had silver hair, the other with dark brown, close to black, actually. One with a shaved head, another with bleached bangs. Them who you’re looking for?”

“Likely so, thank you!” Oikawa bowed before running off the find Iwaizumi, as well as to brag how he found information so quickly. “Iwa-chan! Got some stuff here!”

“So do I,” Iwaizumi walked up to Oikawa with a smug look, holding out a notepad with a hefty amount of information. “A couple women just came from the dock, said they were giving food out to the fishermen who just arrived. Saw four men and a large crate hurrying to deport and wouldn’t accept the food. Said they had feathers in their hair as well. One of the ladies saw a crow tattoo on one of the stronger-looking men, right around their wrist or so.”

“Damn you got a lot more than me. I just got someone who saw four men running away- hey, that means they’ve escaped! We gotta go!” Oikawa cut himself off and sprinted to the docks with Iwaizumi trailing close behind, the two quickly noticing a ship about two miles out from port. “Shit... Call the other two and tell them we’ve found the Crows! I’ll go ahead, okay?”

“Right! Don’t die, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi shouted as he ran off, turning the corner to find Hanamaki and Matsukawa. 

Oikawa turned his attention back to the ship, hopping into a small boat and untied it from a piling. He apologized to the fisherman who was calling out Oikawa as he rowed away, still focusing more on the Crows than the angered men. He could pay them back later for a new boat, so whatever.

\--

As Oikawa approached the ship, an iron spear shot its way through the bottom of Oikawa’s boat, just inches away from his feet. He panicked, jumping off and grabbed ahold of one of the ropes attached to the Crow’s ship. With a yank of his body and a splash of saltwater right into his eyes, he pulled himself up and onto the ship. 

There wasn’t anyone on the amidship, possibly hiding away in cabin or up in the crow’s nest. Oikawa groaned misterably, saltwater still tainting his eyes as he dabbed it away on a piece of cloth. 

“This is why,” he grumbled, finally getting ahold of himself and ability to open his eyes all the way. “I _hate_ the sea!”

“Then why’d you come, mister Knight of the King?” a voice said, slightly high-pitched, but intimidating nonetheless. The cold edge of a sword brushed against the skin of Oikawa’s neck, Oikawa quickly tumbling away to draw his own blade. 

He stood back up and turned around, pointing the edge of his sword at the bandit, grip faltering as he stared into the man’s eyes. Oikawa felt the breeze of the sea comb its way through his chocolate-colored hair, gently caressing his face with its tender hands. The bandit smiled at him, both lowering their swords at the same time.

“Well, this is unexpected,” Oikawa said aloud, sheathing his blade with a sigh. “When I was told I had to save a prince, I expected you to be crying and screaming for someone to help you... Not.. Not _this_.”

The missing prince of Shiratorizawa stood on the edge of the ship, holding onto a taut rope with his left hand. His tangerine hair fluttered like waves atop his head, bright, playful eyes pinned to Oikawa’s face. Black crow feathers were tied to the bottom of a braid, just barely below his jawline. Black pants were tucked into knee-high boots accompanied with a bright orange vest and black button up shirt. Both were halfway to completely unbuttoned, exposing the prince’s bare chest. His chest was covered in streaks of black and orange paint, curling around his neck before ending just below his Adam’s apple. 

How the hell was he supposed to explain to the King that his prince was dressed like a _pirate?_

“Oh! It’s you!” the prince said, pointing his sword back at Oikawa’s face. “I know you! You’re always keeping guard near the Kings throne room! I’m the one who keeps sneaking candies into your pockets, by the way. You seemed so bored every single day, so I wanted to give you little surprises!”

“Let me just say, Your Highness, this is one _hell_ of a surprise,” Oikawa stuttered out, watching Hinata twirl around on his tip-toes. He had hopped down from the side of the ship and had now been scanning Oikawa, walking around him and inspecting his gear (most likely). “Hinata Shouyou, prince of Shiratorizawa, has been declared missing as of this morning. Care to explain why, just by mid-afternoon, you seem to have become one with these pirate Crows?”

“First off, they don’t like to be called “pirates”, or so I have recently discovered. They’d prefer “bandits”,” the prince started, covering Oikawa’s mouth with his thin index finger. “Second, because this is the lifestyle I’ve always wanted. And they’ve totally accepted me and forgotten anything they had planned to do with me.”

“Hinata!” someone called, voice smooth and soothing. “Where’d you go? Daichi wanted to talk to you about-”

A man with silver hair and hazel-brown eyes stepped out from the cabin and onto the bow of the ship, turning his head to spot both the prince and Oikawa standing next to each other. He was dressed similar to Hinata, except he didn’t have a vest and the sleeves were cut to his elbows. A pale orange cloth was tied around his waist, about a foot of excess cloth hanging against his hip. 

He drew his sword, a basket-hilted sword Oikawa discovered, and pointed it in the direction of Oikawa. Hinata shook his head with a frown, the silver-haired man lowering it just slightly. He made his way over to the prince and dragged him away, stepping in front of the knight with a scowl.

“And, might I ask, just _why_ is there a knight on my ship?” the man sneered, Oikawa’s hand hovering over the hilt of his blade. “I’d suggest you _not_ draw your weapon. I don’t know about you, but you’ve been watched for however long you’ve been here.”

Not even a moment after the man finished, an arrow shot down behind Oikawa, just an inch before the heel of his right boot. He looked up to the crow’s nest and saw a man with a bow, another arrow drawn from a case and already pinned to the bowstring. His bleached hair was almost as yellow as the sunlight, brown eyes sharp and attentive on Oikawa’s movements. He waved at Oikawa with a toothy smile, gesturing to his bow with a flick of his wrist.

“I figured as much,” Oikawa shrugged, seemingly nonchalant, but was actually on the verge of shitting himself. _“I knew these people were fucking crazy, but oh my_ god _.”_ Oikawa was going to cry if Iwaizumi, Matsukawa and Hanamaki didn’t show up soon. “Care to explain why the prince is here with you and not currently at the castle? There is no other reason as to why I would be on your ship, to answer your question.”

“Why would I tell you, exactly?” the man replied with a bark.

“Suga, he’s here because you guys kidnapped me,” Hinata said, tugging on Suga’s sleeve. “It’s not a big deal.. I just... Have to go back.”

“Nope, sorry, you’re not going,” Suga concluded, not letting the prince add anything else to their argument. “You told me why you wanted to stay, so you’re staying. If you don’t like it back there, don’t force yourself to go back.”

“But! I’ve caused a commotion and I really don’t want it to accelerate...” Hinata muttered. “I’ll go back with him if I really-”

“Koshi! Where’d you run off to? And where’s Hinata-” another, deeper-voiced man walked out from the cabin and onto the deck, staring Oikawa straight in the eyes, his mouth slightly agape. “What the hell are you doing on my damn ship?”

“I just answered that question for your “Suga” here,” Oikawa pointed to Suga, still covering Hinata with his body. 

“You don’t get to call me by my name, mister Knight,” Suga poked Oikawa’s chest with the tip of his blade, grip tight to the point his knuckles where is knuckles were snow white. “You nobles don’t get to call me Suga.”

“Except me!” Hinata cheered.

“Except you.”

“Then what the hell am I supposed to call you, Mr. Refreshing? Because The next thing I’m going to call you is “old man”,” Oikawa gestured to Suga’s hair, a vein visible from Suga’s forehead. 

“Just- you know what, fine. Call me Suga. You call me “old man” or “Mr. Refreshing” again and your head will be cut off and sent to your King,” Suga smiled angrily, sheathing his blade before walking over to the dark-haired man. “Daichi, do something with the knight, I’m done. Hinata, come on, Kiyoko wanted to with your hair.”

Hinata nodded nervously, glancing at Oikawa before scurrying away from him and into the cabin. Daichi walked over to Oikawa, slipping on a pair of brass knuckles with a grin. 

“Can I help you?” he asked calmly. “If not, get off.”

“I have no way of getting off. We’re already incredibly far away from port and I have no boat,” Oikawa pointed out, gesturing to the never ending sea around them. “Oh, and I have my own business to attend to.”

“Daichi! Three knights behind you!” the archer cried, pulling back and shot at one of them. 

Oikawa smiled as he knocked down Daichi and ran after the prince, Iwaizumi and Hanamaki staying on deck. Matsukawa followed close behind Oikawa as he made his way into the cabin, soon to be met by a bunch of other bandits.

“Well shit... Can I not just take the prince back easily? Gosh, this is so much more complicating than anything I’ve done in my life so far,” Oikawa complained quietly, letting out a heavy sigh. He drew his sword and smirked, watching the other bandits gather around Hinata. “Please just let me take him back, it really isn’t that hard.. I don’t understand why you’re all protecting him.”

“Just let me go back! I don’t want anyone to get hurt because of me!” Hinata protested, pushing past the Crows and in front of Oikawa. “I’ll go back... I.. I just don’t want to stay.”

Suga looked empathetically at Hinata before nodding, lowering his sword as well as the rest. Oikawa was astonished, to say the least. Why were these bandits so keen on keeping Hinata here? Or, protecting him, at that? Wouldn’t they be willing to let him go? With a price, that is. 

“Come on, prince, let’s get going~” Oikawa held out his hand to the boy, Hinata hesitant to take it. Oikawa watched him fiddle with the feather in his hair before finally placing his hand in Oikawa’s. “I don’t know why you’re so hesitant to leave.. They’re the Crows, notorious bandits all across the kingdoms. Whatever, let’s just go.”

\--

Oikawa brought Hinata over the ship and into the boat Iwaizumi bought from one of the fishermen, saying goodbye to the Crows who continued on with their journey. Suga and Daichi watched Hinata until they were out of sight, a worried expression glued to their face. Why were they all upset about it?

Hinata had curled himself into a ball, head pressed against his knees and fingernails digging into his biceps. 

“Why do you not want to go back?” Iwaizumi spoke first, sitting down next to the prince. “Your Highness?”

“Because I hate it there,” he snarled, lifting his head ever so slightly. His eyes pierced Iwaizumi’s eyes, burning holes into his soul with seething rage. “It’s like putting a bird in a cage. It’s not fun, it’s not freedom. It’s torture! I hate it there, and this was my only chance at freedom! I could have gone on so many adventures with them! I don’t care that they’re some “bad bandits” or whatever you annoying people say! They’re so kind and loving... And _you just had to come and take me away_.”

“Because you’re the prince, Your Highness. The King sent us to find you, so we kind of had to oblige. And you still have responsibilities back in Shiratorizawa,” Hanamaki added emotionlessly. He stopped rowing and sighed, setting the paddle down on his lap before looking at Hinata. “You can’t just abandon the kingdom like that. It’s immature. You’re twenty, aren’t you?”

“So what!? How would you feel if you were cooped up in that.. _Dungeon_ all day everyday without a source of entertainment?! I hate it there!” Hinata shot back. “Ushijima is so... So _trashy_ and I hate him! I can’t stand being near him because he.. He just... _ugh!_ Just understand that the more I stay in that damn castle, the more sanity I lose.”

Hanamaki held up in hands in defeat, going back to rowing the boat with Matsukawa berating him quietly. Iwaizumi and Oikawa shared a glance, hearing the muffled sniffles from the prince. Great, they made him cry.

Oikawa sat down next to Hinata and waited, Iwaizumi shrugging before helping Matsukawa berate Hanamaki to no end. Hinata wiped his tears and glanced at Oikawa, the knight focusing his attention to the horizon. 

“If it makes you feel any better, I hate it there too,” Oikawa whispered, Hinata’s head bobbing slightly. Oikawa stifled a laugh, watching Hinata’s curls bounce in the evening sunlight. “It’s so boring, just walking around the throne room. Like, give me the chance and I’d run away and try to find a way to fly to the moon.”

“Same. I’d do anything to leave behind this.. Prince status to take in some fresh air and enjoy travelling,” Hinata agreed, his eyes suddenly brighter than before. He started to smile again, waving his hands around as he described his kidnapping. 

Oikawa listened to the prince rant about how they were mean at first before accepting him after an explanation on how Hinata was so compliant. Hinata laughed when one named Tanaka suggested he’d be shoved into a crate and be carried out onto the ship. Another named Nishinoya totally agreed to it and ran off to find a big enough crate, Daichi and Suga trying their best to not break down. 

It moved from his kidnapping to how much he wanted to explore the world and see all the things he’s read about. How the sea is full of mysterious creatures, and how he wanted to see them. He wanted to see a pod of dolphins leap into the sky, or a blue whale flap its tail and splash him in saltwater. Or watch a colony of seagulls fly above him into the sunset. Or just sit on a cliff and listen to the waves crash against it, the smell of the ocean calming his nerves and setting him free. Oh how Oikawa wanted to swipe the prince off his feet and take him on adventures. 

The prince was so happy, taking about the mysteries of the world. He wanted to see everything... But he couldn’t. 

“But.. I can’t just do that. Go on an adventure, I mean. I can’t just abandon the kingdom for my selfish desires,” Hinata took the feathers out of his hair, holding onto them tightly before dropping them into the water. “I can’t be a “swashbluckling” pirate, can I?”

“You can totally do whatever the hell you want to, Your Highness,” Oikawa monotoned, letting his eyes fall closed as he felt a light brush of air hit his face. “But yes, it would be selfish. As the prince, you must put your responsibilities as said prince first. But just between you and I, I would totally jump off this small boat and swim away into the unknown. Leave my life to the hands of fate and see where I end up, you know? If it gets me out of the King’s way, then I’d do probably anything.”

“I’m glad I have someone who agrees with me,” Hinata smiled softly, leaning his body against Oikawa’s shoulder. “Thank you for cheering me up.”

“Of course, Your Highness.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My my, here's my promise! If you follow my Tumblr ([this Tumblr](https://lonelym00nstone.tumblr.com)), you should have seen my post on the updates. I originally said for it to be posted mid-January, but because of scheduling issues, and my impatience, I'm sending it out today!
> 
> I plan on adding a chapter every week maybe, or twice a week idk yet. 
> 
> Interesting note: If you really want to keep up with my updating, suggestions, and other things about my writing (or about ao3), please follow the twitter, or at least check in every so often. I don't really have any other way of keeping you all to date on things I've changed my mind about or what not. 
> 
> Please come say "hi"! It also keeps you up to date on things, so like. yeah.
> 
> [Tumblr](https://lycorisrad1ata.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BigOlOnigiri)


	2. Let's Run Away, Oikawa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We should run away!"

It took them a couple of hours before finally arriving back at the castle, Hinata leaning closely towards Oikawa. He apparently felt more comfortable around Oikawa, even though they really didn't know each other. Oikawa was always in the castle, yes, but Hinata was too busy escaping and trying to run away that he never paid too much attention to Oikawa. However, it was sort of the other way around for Oikawa. He'd seen the prince hop out of windows and into bushes just before sprinting away and into the main city. Oikawa never said anything about it because he knew how hard it must be for the prince, seeing how the King was going to step down eventually. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the prince.

Oikawa and Iwaizumi escorted Hinata to the throne room while Hanamaki and Matsukawa bid their farewells. Hinata swore he felt his stomach shoot out of his throat and then suck itself back into his body. He was a nervous wreck. Every time he had run away, he'd received a punishment. Because it was mostly him going into the city, it wasn't bad bad, but because Oikawa and Iwaizumi might tell the King that Hinata had banded with the _Crows_ of all people and that terrified him. Oikawa noticed how shaken Hinata was and gently nudged the boy, Hinata staring up at Oikawa's unfazed expression. A sudden buzz danced through Hinata's stomach, Iwaizumi holding open the doors to the throne room for the prince and Oikawa. 

The King, in short, was pissed. Hinata had escaped the castle for the fifth time in three days, and the King was not pleased with the prince's behavior. Thankfully, neither Iwaizumi or Oikawa brought up Hinata's sudden rebellion towards the kingdom and joined the Crows. Not so thankfully, the King found out and almost broke in half.

"You consciously decided to _join_ Karasuno because, what? You don't like it here?" the King spat, eyes narrowing on Hinata. "Do you even know what Karasuno is like, Hinata Shouyou? Your decision today was uncalled for and unjust, and if I knew any better, _treason_. You're the prince, for God's sake. Do I need to drill into your head that you're of higher status, and if someone found out the _prince of Shiratorizawa_ decided to work with the _Crows,_ our image would be ruined. Your actions would taint the family line for generations."

"I don't care if I ruin this stupid little image!" Hinata snapped back, lowering his head to the King. His fists were clenched, knuckles burning white with his fingernails digging deep into his palms. His shoulders trembled as the King glared at him, his breathing shallow and raspy. "All you do is tell me how to live my life, when I can do whatever the hell I want! I never wanted to be prince! I'm not even related to you! I was just dragged into this stupid mess because of my parents! I never wanted this title! I never wanted to be chained to royal blood and history! I wanted to explore the world, did you know that? Ushijima Wakatoshi, King of Shiratorizawa, did you _know_ I wanted to have a life of my _own_?! I want to see what the other side of the world was like! I wanted to meet new people! I wanted to find love somewhere outside of this kingdom! I didn't want to be told off by you of all people! Give me my life back!"

Oikawa was silent, he had nothing to say. Iwaizumi was unable to speak as well, eyes wide and glued to the angered prince. Hinata's whole body trembled, warm, salty tears trickling onto the floor. His muffled sobs echoed through the room and off the walls, the King raising from his throne with a softer look in his eyes. Hinata wiped away the tears in his eyes before looking up to the King, the elder man staring at Hinata with an apologetic look. 

"I don't need a "sorry" from you, Ushijima," Hinata growled, his voice coarser than earlier. The King retracted back to his chair with a sigh, Hinata trudging past the guards and in front of the door. His shaking hand rested on the handle, gripping the metal tightly before swinging the door wide open. "What I need is for you to give me back the life I loved."

And with that, Hinata left. He ran to his room with more tears than before, locking his door shut as he wept into his feather-stuffed pillow. All he wanted was for his mom and dad to come for him again. His little sister to smile at him again... Hinata was starting to forget his sister's face after his parents left him at Shiratorizawa. "He'd be safer here" his mother told the former King before disappearing with Hinata's younger sister. If he was safer in the castle, what about Natsu? Why did she have to go and Hinata stay? Why couldn't he be with at least one of his family members? Why did he have to be alone...?

Hinata was snapped out of his trance from a knock at his door, metal grinding as the person moved slightly. Hinata rose from his bed and walked over to the door, turning the lock just above the handle and slowly cracked it open. He stuck his head out into the hallway and saw Oikawa waiting in front of him with a sad look in his eyes, Hinata dragging open his door the rest of the way. Oikawa smiled and walked in, Hinata shutting the door gently before making his way back to his bed. 

"Are you doing okay?" Oikawa spoke first, leaning against Hinata's bedside table. The lantern shook slightly from the sudden movement, steadying itself a second later. Hinata didn't speak, clutching the sides of his pillow tightly against his chest. The boy pressed his face into his pillow, hoping to hide how red his eyes had become. "Hey, Chibi-chan... Care to talk about something else then? Maybe about outside of the kingdom? You know, adventure stuff."

Hinata's head shifted slightly before nodding, Oikawa's smile growing wider and softer. He took a seat next to Hinata, taking off the armor around his torso so it wasn't too uncomfortable for himself. Oikawa waited until Hinata raised his head, staring at the floorboards of his bedroom. 

"What part of the world do you want to talk about?" Hinata asked, clearing his throat from the snot that gathered in his throat. "Sorry, that was gross, ewie..."

"I don't particularly mind," Oikawa shrugged. "Both on the topic and you clearing your very.. clogged throat."

"Hush it, Oikawa," Hinata stuck out his tongue with the ghost of a smile, the grip around his pillow loosening. "Fine, we'll talk about the southern part of the world. Do you know how cold it is down there? Apparently, the temperature goes far into the negatives! And there are other animals there that you can't find living here because it's too warm. Can you believe that there are animals that can survive in below freezing temperatures? And not to mention how much ice is out there! We could freeze the whole kingdom of Shiratorizawa _and_ neighboring kingdoms."

"I knew a little bit about that, yeah," Oikawa agreed, nodding along to Hinata's sudden burst of facts and interest. "I sometimes sneak into the library and read through the geography books."

"Me too! We should do that together sometime!" Hinata offered with a smile, his eyes shimmering with newfound purpose. "Which book is your favorite? Mine has to be "Wild Adventures of the Unknown", cause it's so.. Unknown, you know? Who knew any of that stuff was actually out there.... Did you know that there's a place called the "Rainforest", and animals like tree frogs and parrots live in there? And turtles! I've always wanted to see a turtle!"

"Same! They're so cool-looking! Did you know that their shell is actually apart of their skeleton, and if you carry the turtle by it, you could cause damage to the turtle?" Oikawa added on, eyes glowing just as bright as Hinata's. "Not to mention snakes! I mean, we've seen snakes here before, but there are these snakes called "Eastern Green Mamba" snakes and I really want to see one! I'd totally die if I got too close, but just seeing one with my own two eyes outside of pictures and drawings would be fantastic..."

"Exactly!!!" Hinata nodded rapidly, any and all thought of his argument with the King earlier nulled. "I'm so glad I found someone who's just as interested in the world as I am... The staff doesn't think about adventuring about at all and it's so... boring. Does this mean we could sneak out together and escape on a boat? You know, run away and just kind of live life freely? No need to think about an upcoming meeting or being stationed outside of the kingdom or a banquet... Just, kind of living life the way people are supposed to live life."

How tempted Oikawa was. How it took everything in him to not agree to Hinata's proposal. How it took everything in him to not jump from the bed and swing the prince around in circles excitedly.

"That's probably impossible..." Oikawa ended up saying, letting out a heavy, quick sigh. "Seeing how I can't just abandon my men and you can't abandon your position, it would take a miracle for us to be able to actually run off into the unknown."

"Iwaizumi can take your place! Ushijima can stay King until he dies, I don't want to rule a kingdom! If I end up ruling this kingdom, I won't have any free time! I won't have any free _dom_. I want to rule my own world; my own kingdom. I want to rule my life and not the lives of others," Hinata argued. "We don't need a miracle! We can change our lives with a snap of our fingers if we really wanted. You could pack up your things now and take off your armor, leave it on your bed and run out of the castle with me! We could buy a boat and escape the kingdom where Ushijima's power doesn't flow. We could band with the Crows, because we _know_ they aren't as bad as everyone says. We can spend our evening in taverns and tell children stories of our adventures together! We could... Spend the rest of our lives having fun and living it to the best."

_How tempted Oikawa was_...

"I... Can't though," Oikawa denied, running his hands through his rich brown hair. "Even if my heart agrees to that, I can't.. I have to listen to my brain, Hinata."

"Why can't you take a leap of faith? Ushijima can't do anything to us if we escape in time. Don't you want to live freely?" Hinata's eyes shook with fear, hoping, praying, Oikawa wouldn't leave him. "Because that's what I'm going to do. Take a leap of faith. I'm leaving."

"What?!"

"I can't be here anymore, Oikawa! It's torture! My family dumped me here without telling me why! Do you really think I want to be in a place where my parents forgot about me?" Hinata's voice shook, tears welling in the corners of his eyes again. "They don't send mail, they don't try to visit.... They said I'd be safe here, but really? They wanted to get rid of me...!"

Oikawa wrapped his arms around Hinata, resting his chin on the trembling prince. Hinata sobbed against Oikawa's chest, the elder's warmth calming Hinata down after a couple minutes. Their embrace continued, neither wanting to let go of one another. Who would want to let go? Oikawa closed his eyes, his heart beating loud enough that Hinata could likely hear it. He wanted to leave so badly. He hated it here; holed up without anything else to do... But he couldn't leave his men-friends-behind like that. He couldn't leave Iwaizumi, the man who stayed with Oikawa his entire life without killing him. Iwaizumi wouldn't agree to this either.. But maybe it was worth a shot? Asking him, that is. To come with Hinata and Oikawa on their adventure to the ends of the Earth. 

"You have no idea how much I want to go," Oikawa whispered against Hinata's orange locks, taking in the scent of his lavender shampoo. "You have no idea how much I want to take your hand and whisk you away into the rainforest or into the desert... But I can't abandon my position or my friends. Iwa-cha- Iwaizumi, he's my best friend. I can't leave him here, I wouldn't forgive myself."

"I want to go on an adventure with you, Oikawa," Hinata wept, his arms tightening around Oikawa's waist. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you, which sounds crazy.. But I do. I don't know why, but my heart bounces all around my chest like "bam-boom" and "fwah-doo" whenever I look at you... I want you to come with me and disappear off Ushijima's radar. I want so many things from you, and I don't know why.. We barely know each other, even though I've spent almost my whole life in this castle. But I already know I want to spend whatever time I have left with you..!"

"Is it so wrong to agree?" Oikawa chuckled back, bringing his hands to cup Hinata's cheeks. He wiped away a stray tear from Hinata's right cheek with his thumb, the prince leaning into Oikawa's loving touch. "God, you're so convincing... Who knew a troublesome escapee would make me feel all ew and mushy?"

Hinata laughed, resting his right hand on Oikawa's left hand. He traced his fingers delicately over Oikawa's knuckles, his left hand pulling on Oikawa's shirt collar. The knight smiled as he drew his face closer to Hinata's, pressing his lips against the other man's. Hinata's lips were slightly chapped and a little bloody after him biting it so much, but Oikawa didn't care. His lips probably weren't any better, to be fair. 

Their kiss felt like it lasted a lifetime, the two too engulfed in their own little world and enjoying it too much. Oikawa hadn't realized just how much he wanted this... To hold the prince in his arms and kiss him; to hold onto the prince for the rest of his life. To call the prince his.. And Hinata felt the same way. He wanted Oikawa to be with him, even if it seemed outrageous. Even if it was wrong and likely taboo, he wanted it. Hinata wanted to intertwine his fingers with Oikawa's and hold on tightly. He wanted to watch the stars with Oikawa on their little ship in the middle of the ocean, or wake up to the early sunlight with each other. How selfish had Hinata and Oikawa become?

Oikawa pulled back first, resting his forehead on Hinata with a smile, his eyes still shut. Hinata opened his eyes and looked at Oikawa's fair skin, running his fingers through the brunette's smooth hair. 

"You know what," Oikawa said, breaking the silence between the two. "I'll go. Screw it. You've changed my mind."

"Yay!" Hinata giggled. "You should bring Iwaizumi with us! You didn't want to leave him behind and I don't want you to regret anything..."

"Depends. When are you planning on running off?"

"Probably later this week. I was honestly thinking this evening but that seems like a little much."

"Nah, really? This evening? That's rushing it there, Chibi-chan."

"Why do you think I changed my mind, Fish-chan?"

"Mean!"

"Then stop calling me "Chibi-chan"! I'm not _that_ short!"

\--

Oikawa stayed with Hinata the rest of that evening. He changed out of his armor and sat with Hinata until the sun rose, both chattering about what their favorite thing about the world is. Oikawa said, of course, the rainforest, while Hinata said the arctic. They fell asleep around six in the morning after a long evening of pure talk. Their voices were dried up and their brains malfunctioning, so sleep was probably a good idea. Oikawa wrapped his arms around Hinata before he fell into a deep sleep, the last thing he felt was Hinata. Not that he'd complain at all, anyways.

Noon rolled around and Oikawa was startled away by a banging at the door, Hinata already up and freaking out. 

"I'm in here, I swear!" Hinata shouted, the banging pausing. "I'm just really tired, so can I please not be bothered today? I promise I won't run off."

"Do you know where Shittykawa went?" Iwaizumi asked, Hinata realizing he'd kept Oikawa with him the entire night. Hinata groaned. "When I find him, I'll kill him."

Oikawa signaled to Hinata to tell Iwaizumi he wasn't with Hinata, the ginger snickering before nodding. "I haven't the faintest idea, Iwaizumi-san, sorry."

Iwaizumi sighed and walked away after thanking Hinata, his footsteps fading as he went further down the hallway. Hinata glanced at Oikawa and grinned, jumping back onto the brunette and into his arms. Oikawa cuddled with Hinata in the comfortable blankets, burying his nose in the crook of Hinata's neck.

"I should probably go though," Oikawa said aloud. "Or Iwa-chan will actually kill me..."

Hinata mumbled something unintelligible, letting Oikawa go with a frown. The knight chuckled softly, ruffling Hinata's hair before gathering his armor and dressed himself. Not changing his base clothes was a little gross, but he's had worse honestly. Oikawa left Hinata's room with a wink, leaving Hinata to his thoughts as Oikawa made his way to "not" intentionally find Iwaizumi. Hinata slammed his pillow over his face to hide the unwavering, stupid smile he had. He was going to see the world with Oikawa... He was going to see the world with Oikawa... He was going to see the world with _Oikawa_... Oikawa Tooru.. Tooru... Hinata was going to travel the Earth with.. Tooru. Hinata was suddenly hit with a large amount of motivation, bouncing off his bed and hurried to wash and dress himself. He had to pack anyways! He was going to spend the rest of his life with Oikawa Tooru on a boat or on land, exploring the corners of Earth and further beyond. What more could he ask for?

Everything was suddenly perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter two!! I hope you liked it, I spent a shit ton of time on it. For this story, heads up, I plan on having about four or five chapters, possibly six. I never intended this to be that long. And 200+ hits? I haven't even posted anything worth while though what the heckie.
> 
> Please come say "hi"! It also keeps you up to date on things, so like. yeah.
> 
> [Tumblr](https://lycorisrad1ata.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BigOlOnigiri)


	3. Packing

Hinata sat in his room and waited, planning out his future plans with Oikawa. At the end of the week, like they promised, they would run away together. Oikawa had been talking with Iwaizumi about their departure-secret, don’t forget-and other man could only berate Oikawa for his childish behavior... Oh, and allow him to go.

“You’re really going to leave, huh?” Iwaizumi asked his friend after calming down, Oikawa’s body sore from the amount of punches Iwaizumi landed. “With the prince no less.”

“Yeah, I am,” Oikawa replied, rubbing his shoulder with an already forming bruise just below his shoulderblade. “Crazy isn’t it? Chibi-chan said he was going to escape and wanted me to join him... You know how I’ve been complaining about this place, Iwa-chan! There was no way I’d deny him. Actually, I did at first, but said “fuck it” and agreed.”

“This is so stupid. You realize that, right, Oikawa?” when Iwaizumi used Oikawa’s actual name, it meant something was serious. Oikawa gulped, Iwaizumi’s dark eyes hitting through Oikawa’s boundaries. Iwaizumi was terrifying at times. “You and prince Hinata abandoning your positions like this is stupid. It’s childish and immature. You dumping “captain” title on me in just a week’s notice is immature. I can’t believe you’re seriously running off... But I’m not going to stop you.

“You complain so god damn much about wanting to leave Shiratorizawa, and I get that. But I have a family here; so do you for Pete’s sake! Your sister will miss you, and so will your mother. If you’re still going to run away, make sure you write to us and at least try to visit without the King trying to cut your heads off. I can’t stop you even if I try to beat you to make you stay. Just try not to die or hurt prince Hinata, okay?”

Oikawa was grateful for his friend. Yeah, Iwaizumi was rough and head-strong when it came to insulting Oikawa, but he knew Iwaizumi meant well. They had been through everything together, afterall. Leaving Shiratorizawa and Iwaizumi behind, as well as his family, would be the toughest challenge Oikawa has ever faced; his heart clenched whenever he thought too hard about it. He’d be with the prince, the annoyingly loud prince that is, for the rest of his life, and that sounded like an absolute dream. But.. Oikawa shook his head with a sigh, thanking Iwaizumi before going off to finishing his duties for the evening. 

He approached Hinata’s not long after, knocking on the oak door gently with his middle knuckle. The door swung open with an excited, short shrimp in Oikawa’s arms not even a second after Oikawa knocked, the two holding each other passionately.

“I’m tired,” Hinata complained, mumbling into Oikawa’s chest. “I packed my things.. I tried getting some of your stuff, but you have so many articles of clothing that I didn’t know what you wanted..”

“Of course I have a lot of clothes. Kinda wish I could take them all,” Oikawa joked. “I’ll do my own packing this evening, okay? Just get some rest for now, Chibi-chan.”

“ _ Shouyou _ . Stop calling me “Chibi-chan”, it’s mean.”

“Shou-chan it is, then,” Oikawa laughed, listening to Hinata’s annoyed groan followed closely behind with a smile. “Shou-chan, get some rest.”

Hinata shook his head, ginger slashing about under the white moonlight. “No, I want to help you. I don’t need sleep, that’s for weaklings!”

Oikawa couldn’t bother to argue with the prince anymore. He knew that when Hinata wanted something, it was kind of hard to change his mind. Oikawa chuckled and tried cleaning up his belongings, which were strown around in Hinata’s room. Hinata watched from his bed, hurrying to hop over to his partner. Oikawa refolded his shirts and piled them neatly into whatever suitcase Hinata had gotten out for him.

“You’re not very good at folding clothes,” Oikawa said bluntly. 

Hinata scoffed, slamming his hand against his chest. Clearly, he was joking, but it still was an insult. “I can’t believe you’d insult your prince like that!”

“Oh come on. You hate that title, there’s no power there.”

“True. I’m only joking.”

\--

Oikawa unpacked and repacked his belongings the rest of the evening, thinking over everything he could possibly need twice over. Hinata fell asleep every couple hours, bouncing awake and saying he wasn’t sleeping. Oikawa laughed every time, wrapping his muscular arms around the smaller boy. The ginger would always enjoy the warmth from Oikawa’s torso, immediately falling asleep again. 

“Sleep is for the weak, huh?” Oikawa teased quietly.

“Mm... Yeah, I’m not asleep....” Hinata mumbled, pumping a weak fist into Oikawa’s jaw. Oikawa laughed, the punch just brazing his skin. “‘M not weak...”

“No, you’re one of the strongest people I’ve met,” Oikawa whispered, pecking the Hinata’s hairline. Hinata smiled as he leaned further against Oikawa, humming a tone of satisfaction.

“That’s good to know,” Hinata yawned with a stretch, leaning back and knocking Oikawa onto his back. “Are you done yet? It’s already so late.... Or early.”

“I kind of spent the night packing my things, ahaha...” Oikawa answered. 

“You should sleep then.”

“But I would be weak?”

“Nah, you’re not weak.”

“But.. But that contradicts what you said earlier?”

“Oh shut up, Oikawa.”

...

“Call me Tooru, please.”

“If you stop calling me “Shou-chan”, then yeah, I will.”

“ _ Shouyou _ .”

...

“Tooru?”

“Yeah?”

...

“I really love you. Thank you for agreeing to come with me.”

“Awh, how sweet, Shou-chan!”

“I’m kidding, I take it back. I’ll go alone.”

“Noo!! I’m messing with you, I swear! Shouyou, please, don’t leave me! That’s mean!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the shorter chapter. I wanted to at least post something because I'm not sure if I can get anything out next week. I hope you liked it!
> 
> come say hi! Twitter'll keep you updated, Tumblr is just for shits and giggles.
> 
> [Tumblr](https://lycorisrad1ata.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BigOlOnigiri)


	4. A Sack of Hay and An Owl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oya, what could this be? A little ginger boy I see?"

The sun rose early in the morning-five fifteen to be exact. Oikawa and Hinata were passed out on each other sleeping soundly with drool dripping from the corners of their mouths. They had a long evening, it’s to be expected. 

Hinata opened his eyes first, pushing himself off of Oikawa and onto his feet. The brunette startled and woke, looking in front of him at his freshly packed bag.

“Did I end up finishing that?” Oikawa asked himself. “I’m impressed with myself.”

Hinata laughed, helping Oikawa to his feet. The knight wrapped his arms around Hinata, the two wrapped in each other’s warmth and comfort. They were going to leave that evening... They were going to escape the castle’s grasp and run away to God knows where. They were going to embark on a journey where no one knows when it’ll end. They were going to sail all seven seas and discover what the meaning of freedom is.

Oikawa pressed his tender lips against Hinata’s forehead, rocking themselves side to side. Hinata laughed, holding Oikawa tighter against himself and sighed into the embrace.

“I’m excited,” Hinata said with a giddy sigh. “Can we leave now? Just take our stuff and hide in a wagon full of hay until we are pulled out of the kingdom’s borders. Jump out like crickets and run into the inner city and bask in the burning sunlight against our skin.. Maybe run to Fukurodani’s village and hide out there! Or we could find Karasuno again and stay with them! Karasuno’s crew already accepts me, so it would totally work out!”

“We can’t leave in broad daylight, Shouyou, be patient,” Oikawa teased, flicking Hinata’s forehead lightly with the edge of his middle finger. 

Hinata pouted, burying his face in Oikawa’s chest and mumbled his complaints. Oikawa did want to leave as soon as possible, but having staff see him and the prince run off together would be troublesome. The only person who knows of the couple’s plan was Iwaizumi, and the later was far from pleased about it. At least he was accepting...

\--

The sun rose high into the blue sky before slowly falling back down, its fire flickering just a little lighter than it did earlier in the morning. Orange, pink, red and yellows scattered across the sky in an ombre, clouds just catching the ends of the colors. Birds flown around for their last time before settling down in their nests, cuddling up comfortably before drifting to sleep. People could already hear the sounds of deer hooves crunching against the dried leaves, nibbling away at patches of grass before scurrying away at the slightest sound.

Hinata had snuck into town to buy some clothes that weren’t as expensive and standout-ish so he and Oikawa wouldn’t be noticed right away. He indirectly said goodbye to his favorite store clerks, paying more money than the items were originally priced and hugged them for close to two minutes each. Hinata would likely never see them again and it hurt his heart just thinking about it.

Oikawa was finishing up the last of the documents for Iwaizumi’s promotion, scribbling away at a scroll before handing it over to his friend. Iwaizumi sighed before berating Oikawa for the last time in probably a while, trying his darn best to hold back the tears that welled in his eyes. The two childhood friends hugged each other with tears streaming down their rosy cheeks, both promising to see each other again in some way, shape or form. Iwaizumi smacked Oikawa’s back with a smile, watching the former knight run down the hallway to Hinata’s bedroom. 

The knight looked down at the bags he and his partner packed the night before, hawling them over his shoulders and dropped them outside Hinata’s window into a bush. Hinata came running back to his window not a moment later, noticing Oikawa dropping their luggage down. He laughed, helping the drop be a little smoother than just plummeting into a bush and probably break a little more than what was necessary. 

Oikawa threw down the final bag before taking off his armor, changing into the clothes Hinata tossed up for him to change into. Oikawa had never worn clothing such as what Hinata had given him, but that just meant this was real. Their escape was going to be real. He smiled before climbing onto the windowsill and jumped down, taking one of the bags out of the bushes as Hinata took the others. 

“This is really happening....” Hinata whispered, the moon now overhead and staff members cleaning up for the night. “You ready?”

“Always, Shouyou.” Oikawa answered, following Hinata’s lead out the exit the prince typically escaped from. 

Hinata dove into the trees and through a pass he had dug years ago. Thank God no one noticed it for such a long time. He reached back under the fence for the three bags Oikawa had next to him, the elder man following after their belongings were safely in their hands. They scurried along the trail Hinata memorized to a tee and into the city, tracking down one of the horse drawn wagons filled to the brim with hay. It was perfect.

“Come on!” Hinata whisper-shouted, nodding his head toward the wagon. “They’ve just started moving!”

Oikawa looked over his shoulder one last time to take in the sight of his kingdom. Albeit, he never enjoyed it, it was still something beautiful to remember. He grew up in Shiratorizawa, but never really took in the sight that was the inner city. He would miss it.

“Let’s go, Tooru!”

Oikawa chuckled, lowering his head before running after the wagon with Hinata. The two dove into the hay without disturbing the driver, covering their bags and themselves from any onlookers. 

“We’re really doing this...” Oikawa sighed, finally able to breathe and comprehend what they were doing. “We’re really running away.”

“I’m going to guess that we’re going to be declared missing by tomorrow morning,” Hinata laughed, taking out a small bag of roasted almonds and cranberries. “I have no idea where we’re going, but let’s just pray it’s to Fukurodani or Dateko.”

“We’re going west, so it’s likely Fukurodani,” Oikawa mentioned, poking his head out from the hay sack. He looked back at the city, nodding his head before covering himself up again. “Yeah, west. It’s Fukuro.”

“It’s been so long since I’ve gone to the village,” Hinata threw an almond into his mouth, offering some to Oikawa. The brunette took some as Hinata rambled on about how he ran all the way to Fukurodani on accident after trying to escape a wild boar. “It was terrifying, let me tell you. But they were super welcoming and kind, and it wasn’t because I was the prince. Apparently they didn’t even know I was the prince to begin with! They’re isolated from everyone and receive weekly rations from all different kingdoms. Did you know that they’re actually the ones that keep the forests from dying? They’re like Mother Nature’s knights or something.. Wildlife protectors.”

“So I’ve heard,” Oikawa laughed. “I also heard that there’s this one man who looks like a horned owl. He’s prideful in the way he keeps the village in shape. He’s their leader, or something.”

“You mean Bokuto? Yeah, he’s awesome!” Hinata’s eyes shown with utmost respect for the man, Hinata leaning further against the edge of the wagon. “He’s so cool! Let’s hope they remember me... Bokuto is such an amazing guy, Tooru. He’s super strong and leads the village better than Ushijima could ever even lead himself.”

“What a reference.”

“I’m serious!” Hinata and Oikawa laughed, the two eating another handful of almonds and cranberries. “But he’s also a little iffy here and there. He has some pretty intense mood swings-they’re super funny to watch-and his council or whatever has to constantly keep his pride going.”

“He sounds... Entertaining.” Oikawa took the last cranberry out of the bag as Hinata wrapped it up, shoving it into his satchel and off to the side. 

“He’s quite the character, but I know you’ll like him too!” Hinata yawned, crossing his arms against his chest. “Hopefully it won’t take too long to get there..”

Oikawa moved over and sat next to Hinata, pushing the ginger’s head down onto his shoulder so he could sleep more comfortably. Hinata mumbled a thanks before falling asleep, Oikawa leaning his head back to look up at the stars. He had made a small hole at the top of the hay sack to look up at the sky and enjoy the blue and purple colors now scattering his view. 

White dots twinkled in that blue-purple liquid called space, burning thousands of lightyears away from where Oikawa sat. He could point out where the Big Dipper was, and where Orion’s belt was just to discover the rest of the constellation. He could see a couple of bats flying above the wagon; he could hear the distant rush of a stream. Oikawa never knew the world could sound-and look-so beautiful as it did now. 

He glanced over at Hinata and smiled, thanking the prince for dragging him out into the real world. If it weren’t for a troublesome ginger who caused the castle anything but peace, he would still be trapped in that corridor protecting the throne room from nothing. 

“I’m forever in your debt, Shouyou,” Oikawa muttered, kissing the top of Hinata’s head. “You really are a life saver.”

\--

The ride ended an hour past moonrise. Oikawa heard the driver stop the horse with a crack of his whip, which signalled for Hinata and his escape. Oikawa shook the ginger boy awake and gathered their bags, digging their way out of the hay sack and into Fukurodani’s village. 

Oikawa expected the place to be a little run down and covered in nature, but that was proven wrong when he and Hinata stepped into the borders. Oikawa was met with orange lights flickering about, music playing and citizens dancing to their hearts content in the heart of the village. He could hear the clapping and cheering of onlookers as a man and a woman battle-danced against each other to the intense music a band was playing for them. Hinata was quick to run to the exciting party, eyes wide and smile growing wider as he approached the group. 

“Oya, what could this be? A little ginger boy I see?” someone cackled, Hinata frozen in place. A hand found its way onto Hinata’s shoulder, Oikawa quick to draw a dagger from his hip. “It’s been a long time, kiddo!”

Hinata relaxed as he turned around, a pair of golden eyes staring back at Hinata’s amber gaze. 

“Bokuto!” Hinata cheered, Bokuto sweeping the prince off his feet in a welcoming hug. “God, don’t scare me like that!”

“Couldn’t help it, Hinata! I saw a mop of ginger coming in to town and I came all the way over here in hopes of confirming it was you!” Bokuto let Hinata back down onto the red brick ground, Oikawa approaching the two men with a scowl. He stepped in front of Bokuto with a protective arm in front of the prince, eyes glued to the grey and black-haired man. “Oho? And who might you be?”

“This is Tooru!” Hinata told the man, hopping out from behind Oikawa’s arm. “He’s come to travel the world with me.”

“You’re travelling the world?” Bokuto questioned, his confused frown flashing up into a smile. “So you were actually serious about escaping whatever cage you spoke about! I gotta tell Akaashi about this!”

“Who?” Oikawa tilted his head to the side, Hinata dragging him along with Bokuto in front. “Wait wait, you can’t just bring me wherever, Shouyou!”

“I trust these guys, don’t worry! I told you that I came across them a couple years ago. They were the ones who took care of me!” Hinata reassured the skeptical knight, holding onto Oikawa’s hand with a squeeze. 

“Well well, Tooru-”

“It’s Oikawa to you, Fukuro-chan.”

“- _ Oikawa _ , what makes you think I’m untrustworthy?” Bokuto questioned, pushing a curtain of vines out of his face to reveal a lone cottage on a patch of clear land near a waterfall. Oikawa was shocked; it was amazingly serene. “Hinata here trusts me!”

“Yes well, he knows you doesn’t he, Fukuro-chan?” Oikawa smiled with a hint of annoyance. “I don’t, however. There’s no way I can blindly trust someone I’ve just met.”

“Oh come on, lighten up a bit, Oikawa!” Bokuto laughed, swinging open the door to the cute little cottage the three men walked up to. “Akaashi! I’m back! I have some guests too!”

“Don’t tell me you brought over another wild animal, Bokuto...” a voice replied, likely to be Akaashi. “I’m not going to make you dinner if you did-”

“Nope, not this time! It’s Hinata and a friend of his!” Bokuto replied with a toothy grin. 

“Hello again, it’s been some time, huh?” Hinata saw Akaashi poke his head out of the kitchen with a soft smile, disappearing to set something down quickly before walking out into the foyer. 

“It’s been a good couple of years, yes.” Akaashi said, hugging Hinata for a moment before letting him and Oikawa in. “How have you been? What are you doing here again? You told Bokuto and I you lived quite a long ways away.”

“Well... Remember when I said I was going to travel the world?” Hinata asked. Akaashi nodded with an understanding look, Bokuto running into the kitchen to fetch the guests a snack and some refreshments. “Yep! I also dragged Tooru here with me!”

“You only pestered me to come with you, Shouyou, not so much “dragged”...” Oikawa chuckled, squeezing Hinata’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Oikawa Tooru.”

“Akaashi Keiji. I’m sorry you had to meet Bokuto here before someone reasonable,” Akaashi joked with a straight face, “Akaashi, that’s mean!” heard from the kitchen a moment later. “He’s the leader of this village. I hope you like it here.”

“It’s a beautiful place, Akaachan,” Oikawa said earnestly. It really was an amazing place. “Seems very lively by the party we encountered earlier.”

“The village likes to have fun every evening, so they always party from moonrise to probably about one or two in the morning,” Akaashi explained, taking a couple of glasses from Bokuto and handed it to the two guests. He brought them into the living room as Bokuto gave them a plate of homemade cookies with a smile. “I don’t like parties myself, so I just stay here and read.” Akaashi looked at Hinata and Oikawa’s bags; how they were filled to the brim with supplies and clothing. “Do you two need a place to stay? Bokuto and I would be glad to let you stay here for the evening.”

“Really? You would do that?” Hinata looked at Akaashi with an excited grin, practically vibrating when Akaashi agreed. Hinata jumped up from the couch he and Oikawa found themselves sitting on, pumping his fists into the air. “Thank you so much! I had no idea where we would stay if we didn’t run into you guys!”

“You’re always welcome here, Hinata! Whenever you’d like to come by, we’ll always have a room for you! You helped our village out after all, it’s the most we can do.” Bokuto smiled, pressing his hands against his hips. “Hey, you know what? We should head back to that party! Konoha and Washio wanted me to try out this new game they set up.”

“I’m just going to stay behind and clean up a little, but you guys can go do whatever.” Akaashi offered. “Just don’t break anything, Bokuto.”

“Akaashi! I would never!”

“You broke the corner of the statue just the other week...”

“Akaashi! You promised me you wouldn’t tell a soul!”

“Everyone saw it, Bokuto... It’s not like me telling Hinata or Oikawa would really change anything.”

Hinata laughed at their harmless bickering, sensing the love they had for each other before being escorted out of the cottage and back into town by Bokuto. Oikawa held onto Hinata’s hand the entire time, warming up to Fukurodani’s environment. Maybe not Bokuto per se, but to the entirety of the village. 

“Come on, we should dance!” Hinata pulled Oikawa into the center of the town, spinning and stepping along to the music. Oikawa watched the prince laugh and dance with people he didn’t know, but trusted blindly and accepted them as friends. “You’re so stiff, Tooru.. You should really loosen up a little bit! We’re going to meet a lot of new, random people if we’re going to travel the world, so you gotta learn to enjoy their traditions! Learn to accept the people, you know? If you’re too suspicious to them, they’re going to be suspicious to you.”

“I’m not stiff!” Oikawa laughed, taking Hinata’s hand and walked into the circle of dancers. “I’ve just never been in an environment like this... I don’t know how to take it all in yet.”

“Don’t worry, Tooru, you’ll get the hang of it right away! Just think about it this way.. You’re a bird that just learned how to fly, and now you’re celebrating by soaring the sky and gliding through the clouds!” Hinata spun around on his left foot, spreading his arms open and looked up at the moon. “You’re free and flying above the trees, above the atmosphere and into space!”

Oikawa let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding before laughing again, tapping his feet along to the tune of the music. It had a jazzy feel to it; quick and energetic. The villagers danced away into the night without a care in the world, Oikawa listening to Bokuto’s shouts of likely loss against that game he spoke about earlier. He listened to the chatter of other villagers and the tapping of shoes against the brick ground. He listened to the fire-lit lanterns crackle around him, the orange lights mimicking the villagers.

He looked at Hinata and moved closer to him, grabbing the prince’s hand and spun him against Oikawa’s chest. Oikawa looked down at Hinata’s flushed expression, spinning him back out of his grasp. Hinata’s smile grew as they danced away, twirling each other around and sometimes tripping, but that didn’t matter. Oikawa felt like he was finally free. 

“Man, you suck at dancing,” Hinata joked, Oikawa smacking his heart as if he were actually offended. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding! All that matters is that you’re enjoying yourself, Tooru!”

“I am enjoying myself, Shouyou,” Oikawa repeated, everything else around him blurring. The only thing he saw was Hinata laughing and spinning around, cheeks red and breath harder from moving so much. “Thank you.”

“Oh come on, don’t thank me. There’s nothing to thank me for. This was your decision in the end, I had no say over your choices. Yeah okay, I pestered you about it a lot, but you still agreed to come with me! It was your own sense of adventure and yearning that brought you out here.” Hinata moved closer to Oikawa, out of breath and sweat dripping down his forehead.

“But it was  _ because  _ you pestered me about it that I decided to join you. It was because you offered me a chance to run away far from the King and with you by my side,” Oikawa drew Hinata close to him, Oikawa staring down at Hinata’s face with fondness and pure, undying love. “For that, I thank you, Shouyou.”

Hinata’s face burst with red, steam practically fumming from his ears. “I.. I... D-don’t be all cheesy, Tooru!”

Oikawa laughed, the two men moving along to the music the rest of the evening. They were so happy to finally escape Shiratorizawa. They were so happy to be dead set on adventuring the lands and take in new sights they never thought they would see outside of maps or story books. Hinata and Oikawa were so fortunate to have each other, and just each other now. It was them and the world now, nothing holding them back like royal duties or ordering guards about. 

“If this is what it’s like to be free,” Oikawa said, his nose brushing against Hinata’s nose with a smile on their faces. “I never want to let it go.”

“Who said you had to?” Hinata closed his eyes and kissed Oikawa’s lips gently. “I never want this night to end, Tooru... Just you and me and the stars and the moon...? I’m going to remember this night forever and ever.”

“Me too, Shouyou, me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here's Fukurodani! Sorry the BokuAka was kind of faint, but it is there! Nekoma and Karasuno, maybe, will be in the next chapter. I honestly write this over the course of a week and go with it lmao. PS! THIS SERIES WILL PROBABLY END SOON! I'm loving it so much ngl, it makes my heart clench UWU. There's so much fluff and love in this, UGH MY HEART-  
>  I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Don't hesitate to drop a kudos or comments, I love hearing from you guys :3
> 
> come say hi! Ask questions, send fanart, request future stories??
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> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BigOlOnigiri)


	5. A Crow

Oikawa and Hinata walked back to Bokuto’s place and spent the night in their spare room. They didn’t sleep, however, since they were filled to the brim with energy and giggles. Never in Oikawa’s life did he think he’d ever have an exciting evening like just then. He and Hinata had danced away for what seemed like years, participating in games and competitions with laughs and cheers. It was pleasant.

“Tooru, can you sleep?” Hinata whispered, rolling onto his side to face the knight. “Cause I can’t.”

“I can’t either, Shouyou. What’s up?” Oikawa whispered back, pushing himself up and onto his feet. 

“I have way too much energy right now. I’m surprised even Bokuto crashed on Akaashi when we came back,” Hinata giggled, remembering back to the Great Horned Owl falling into the arms of a sighing Akaashi. “I really like this place, Tooru... Maybe this could be our home, you know? Still travel the world, but come back to a lively little village like this...”

“I’d love to have a little home here,” Oikawa smiled, grabbing Hinata’s hands and pulled him off the bed and into Oikawa’s arms. “Just the two of us.”

Hinata looked up at Oikawa’s glowing eyes, both smiling with another promise. “I guess this is our home base now.”

\--

Oikawa and Hinata decided to leave the next morning, since they had to keep on moving. One, mainly, because they didn’t want to get caught, and two, because they had so much more to see. Hinata hugged Akaashi and Bokuto goodbye while Oikawa shook their hands, departing with an excited ginger. 

Hinata chose to drag Oikawa through the woods until the couple found something interesting, which, in sense, wouldn’t be too bad of an idea. However, because this isn’t some story, it was a bad idea.

“Who’s the one who thought it was a good idea to run into a pack of  _ wolves _ ?” Oikawa whispered, clinging to a tree branch for dear life. “Shouyou, why  _ did you think this was a good idea?! _ ”

“I didn’t know wolves would be out in the forest here!” Hinata whisper-shouted, trying to move along the forest floor quietly to not disturb the wolves. “Come on, we gotta keep moving...”

“Like hell I will!”

“Tooru, don’t be such a wus-”

Suddenly, someone jumped from Oikawa’s branch onto the ground, alerting the wolves of their presence. Hinata jumped into a bush, watching the unnamed stranger herd the wolves away from where he and Oikawa were.

“Are you guys okay?” they asked, Hinata poking his head from the dark green leaves. “Oh! Hinata! Oh my god, it’s you!”

“Suga?” Hinata gasped, bouncing out of the bush and into the arms of a certain silver-haired man. “Holy shit!”

“Are you okay? What are you doing out here! It’s dangerous!” Suga reprimanded, letting go of the ginger to lecture him. “If someone who knew the woods well enough wasn’t out here, you might have died!”

“I’m sorry, Suga... It’s just that I didn’t want to be noticed since Tooru and I are kinda running away,” Hinata mumbled the last part, Suga’s eyes widening. Of course he heard Hinata, this man was like. God. 

“Tooru? Who’s Tooru?” 

Oikawa composed himself and jumped down from the tree he clung to moments ago, walking behind Hinata and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Me. How are you doing, Mr. Refreshing?”

“Oh...  _ you _ ,” Suga sighed. “It’s still Suga to you.”

“And it’s Oikawa to you,” Oikawa smiled, holding out his right hand for a shake. “We should restart. I’m no longer a knight, so there’s no need to be weary of me.”

Suga glanced down at Hinata, the boy nodding with a soft grin on his face. Suga shrugged and grabbed Oikawa’s hand a little harder than he should’ve, but Oikawa didn’t seem to mind. “As long as I can trust you, then you’re good to go. Do you guys need help out of here?”

“Shouyou here thought it was a good idea to go through the forest, so yes. If you could please help us, that would be great, Mr. Refresh- I mean,  _ Suga _ -chan~.” Suga rolled his eyes at Oikawa’s new nickname for him, turning around to walk the rest of the way out with the couple. “Thank you thank you~!”

Suga talked with Hinata the rest of the way out of the forest, Oikawa standing close by as well as adding a couple of comments here and there. Once they found the rest of the way out, Suga suggested bringing them back to the ship Oikawa remembered so.... Fondly? 

“I mean, we need to get out of the kingdom, so if you could..?” Hinata begged, Suga immediately agreeing. Who could turn down Hinata’s puppy dog eyes? “Thank you!!”

“If there’s anything you need, Hinata, you can always look for us. We’ve missed you since Oikawa here took you back,” Suga pointed his thumb back at the brunette, a slight annoyance visible on his face. “You’re free to call us for anything, okay?”

“Really? I can’t thank you enough, Suga!!” Hinata bounced the rest of the way to the Crow’s ship, Suga’s face frozen with a pleasant smile. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the short chapter. I missed last week and I was really close to missing this week, and I also apologize for that. I've been really busy lately and AO3 hasn't been on my mind that much. But hey, I just want to say, look out for an original work on my other account "[LonelyM00nstone](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LonelyM00nstone)"! My friend and I will be writing our own story here and I do hope you'll enjoy it.
> 
> Come drop a hello! I'd love to hear from you :D
> 
> [Tumblr](https://lycorisrad1ata.tumblr.com/)
> 
> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BigOlOnigiri)


	6. A Large Ship and A Setting Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter (I'm posting this today because that makes up for the chapter that I missed last week... Oopsies)! I hope you enjoyed the story :3.

Once Hinata and Oikawa boarded the ship, the other dozen members came running out from the captain's quarters. The first to run and attack Hinata was the same boy with the bleached bangs from weeks before, the next a man with a shaved head. Hinata laughed with them and hugged them back, rocking with the waves of the open sea. Suga pulled the two men off-Nishinoya and Tanaka, Oikawa picked up-and told them to be more civil next time, the other members laughing with Hinata.

"You two haven't changed a bit," Hinata sighed, wiping away a stray tear from the corner of his right eye. "Come on, Tooru, you should introduce yourself."

"I believe he already has, but it's been a while." Daichi mentioned, leaning up against the edge of the ship. "You're that knight who came and took Hinata here away, aren't you? What brings you back here to the Crows?"

All eyes were on Oikawa, the laughter far gone and silenced. He felt on edge, the piercing eyes of menacing Crows all pinned to his figure. Hinata seemed to have noticed Oikawa's nervous panic, grabbing the brunette's hand with his and held tight.

"He and I are going to explore the world together!" Hinata answered for the elder, locking his finger's with Oikawa's. Oikawa glanced down at Hinata and mouthed a thank you, Hinata brushing his elbow against Oikawa's ribcage. "And he's no longer apart of Shiratorizawa, there's no need to worry. We're on our own now."

"Is that so?" Ennoshita folded his arms together and leaned on the same railing Daichi had been on for the past two minutes, both replicating that of a father figure. Kinda funny... "You sure he isn't tricking you?"

"I'll tell you this, Crow-chan," Oikawa spoke up, eyes narrowing on the male. Oikawa wrapped both of his arms around Hinata's waist, a faint growl echoing in the pits of his throat. "I would never trick Shouyou."

Ennoshita took a minute before smiling, tension dropping in his shoulders and arms relaxing to his sides. The other members all looked at each other and smiled widely, turning their heads back to Oikawa and stuck their thumbs up. The brunette was confused, to say the least, his trance breaking when Hinata tugged at his sleeve.

"They accept you," he whispered. "Which is good."

"God, I thought they were actually going to kill me or something," Oikawa whispered back. 

"All right, all right, now that we've deemed Mr. Knight here-" Suga started.

"-It's Oikawa."

"-Excuse me then.. _Oikawa_ , worthy of being on our ship and around Hinata, we might as well get a move on. The sun is already setting and we need to get over to Nekoma's location before moonrise." 

The other members saluted their co-captain before running off to raise the sails, shouting at each other as they pulled at thick, golden ropes. Hinata looked up at Oikawa with an expression Oikawa couldn't quite put into words besides "ready". Hinata was "ready" to go off with the Crows and see the sights, especially because Oikawa was with him. Hinata was "ready" to meet new people and gather more information about cultures out there than from the books he's read in solitude. 

"You prepared for an intense journey with none other than me accompanying you?" Oikawa teased, Hinata wiggling around in his arms to turn his body around. "No one better than I should be accompanying a prince such as yourself on this voyage."

"Oh hush hush," Hinata giggled, cupping Oikawa's face in his hands. "You know I'm prepared for everything. This has been the best decision I've made since I chose to throw a plate of vegetables at Tendou."

"Oh my god that was you?" 

"Of course it was me! Who else has the guts to throw something at _Tendou_?"

Oikawa and Hinata laughed together, feeling the vibrations against their chests since their bodies were so close together. Their laughter died out with comfortable silence following, both intangled together in both their bodies and future. They were together in whatever was going to happen to them on their journey and nothing was going to separate their either. Oikawa looked longingly into Hinata's amber eyes, a hand moving up to caress his cheek. 

"Can I kiss you?" Oikawa asked with a hush, Hinata leaning into the elder man's touch. "I take that as a yes."

"You don't have to ask to kiss me, Tooru," Hinata replied, pulling the brunette down to his level. 

Hinata pressed his lips-chapped and rough and just slightly wet from Hinata quickly licking them-against Oikawa's and sighed into it, shutting his eyes tight to take in the feeling of this kiss. It wasn't soft or quick or anything of the sort. It was rough and passionate and meaningful; a promise. It was rough in the way their lives have been so challenging up till now, and likely in the future. It was passionate to describe their undying love for each other, even if they had only loved each other for such a short period of time. And it was a promise stating their forever connection to each other. A promise to stay together through thick and thin, sickness and health. Who needed an actual wedding when their vows were already spoken?

The two pulled away from each other when they felt the boat lurch, both crashing their teeth into each other with a not so satisfying crack. They yipped with a sudden pain, both pairs of lips bleeding and sore teeth underneath. Oops.

"You know," Oikawa started, rubbing away the drying blood with his sleeve. "No consent is rape. I didn't say you could kiss me!"

"But you asked me, Tooru! Don't bullshit me!" Hinata laughed. 

"It was going to be romantic until you got all _daring_ and yeah," Oikawa snickered, Hinata throwing his arms over Oikawa's shoulders. "So mean~.."

"I'm not the mean one here!"

"Oi love birds!" Daichi shouted from the bow of the ship, waving his hand over his head. "Come and help with moving about this cargo instead of smashing your faces together!"

Oikawa swore he could have heard a "but you do that with Suga" after Daichi walked off, to which a loud smack followed. Hinata's face was little red, mixing well with the bright oranges and yellows of the setting sun. Oikawa held out his hand to Hinata and smiled, the shorter male taking hold and following Oikawa to the bow.

"We love a good start to our journey," Oikawa joked, moving with the sudden rock of the ship. "Moving cargo around is such fun, Shouyou. Don't you know?"

"Tooru, are you going to complain the entire time? I'll turn you back in to Ushijima..." Hinata held back a laugh to keep his "serious" face going. 

"Oh please god no, I'll stop I swear."

Hinata shook his head and chuckled, squeezing Oikawa's hand as an apology and "I was joking". Oikawa understood and laughed, making his way over to Daichi and other helping crew members. "Come on. I don't know about you, but this man here scares me a tad."

"You and me both."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if this seems like a wacky ending. I honestly planned on it being a lot longer than what I had proposed beforehand in one of the older chapters, but alas... 
> 
> If you liked my work, come say hi! I'd love to hear from you all!
> 
> [Tumblr](https://lycorisrad1ata.tumblr.com/)
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> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/BigOlOnigiri)


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